The Queen Mother has died peacefully in her sleep at the age of 101, with her daughter at her bedside.

She passed away at Royal Lodge, Windsor, at 1515 GMT on Saturday, and the news was announced by Buckingham Palace about two and a half hours later.

Sian Backham, aged seven, was among the mourners

It came six weeks after her last public appearance, at the funeral of her daughter Princess Margaret.

Prince Charles is said to be "devastated", while UK Prime Minister Tony Blair led tributes by saying the Queen Mother had been a symbol of Britain's "decency and courage".

The Queen Mother's niece Lady Margaret Rhodes, who was with her when she died, said: "It was a very moving and very sad moment but luckily it was peaceful."

Members of the public have left bouquets of flowers at the gates of Buckingham Palace and other royal residences.

Mourning period

The Queen Mother's coffin is expected to be moved to the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor Great Park on Sunday afternoon.

A period of family mourning will follow before the coffin is moved to Westminster Hall in central London, so the public can pay their respects in a move not seen since the death of Sir Winston Churchill in 1965.

She was the backbone of our nation. Her quiet dignity and resilience will always be remembered

He will leave Switzerland with Princes William and Harry on Sunday morning and will head straight to Windsor.

The Duke of York, who was also abroad, was told the news in Barbados where he
was on holiday with his ex-wife, the Duchess of York, and their children.

Other members of the Royal Family are already at Windsor, having arrived there for the traditional Easter gathering.

Alongside the Queen is the Princess Royal, her husband Timothy Laurence and her two children Zara and Peter, and the Earl and Countess of Wessex.

Blair statement

Tributes have been pouring in from world leaders, politicians of all parties, friends, former employees, charities, the sporting world - particularly horse racing - and the Commonwealth.

Her
sense of duty and remarkable zest for life made her loved and
admired by people of all ages and backgrounds

Tony Blair

Tony Blair led the respects with a statement from his official country residence at Chequers in which he said the whole nation joined with the Queen and Royal Family in mourning.

"During her long and extraordinary life, her grace, her sense of duty and her remarkable zest for life made her loved and admired by people of all ages and backgrounds, revered within our borders and beyond."